Feel like Cinderella left home from the Ball?

Here is a great idea from REALSIMPLE - and, yes, I plan to try it as I just spent all day trying to catch up on too many tasks around here!

Rather than trying to do your cleaning (or any other tasks) all at once, aim to complete one specific task or chore every day.  Write your key chores on index cards and select one per day to complete.  Everything gets done weekly, but without the added stress of overloading yourself!

Coupon Cache (or is that "cash"?)

I thought I was the Coupon Queen, but here is an idea that never occurred to me!  Ellen Madere (ellengetsitdone.com) from CT, suggests storing coupons in your car's glove compartment so they are always readily available when you need them.  What a great idea!

 

OCD with DVDs!

I have an entire 3-shelf, hall-length closet filled with videos and DVDs! This is so cramping our storage space, but what to do? Well - the VHS tapes are old-school and still probably require at least one shelf all their own, but the DVDs? REALSIMPLE.com suggests putting all the DVDs in a single hard-case DVD organizer...Probably should have thought of this before, but this could actually mean linens fitting in a linen closet! Who is with me on this?!

"Pantastic"! (yes it's a pun!)

Ok, so we already know I have unfulfilled dreams of being super-organized and I know all kinds of resources to get me there...I just never quite get to my goal!

But this one idea may get me out of the doghouse with my husband who hates that I haphazardly stack cookie sheets, pie tins, etc. in one sad little cupboard!  One magazine clipping I ran across suggested using a metal file sorter (though I think plastic would be better) to store these pans and cutting boards in.  Makes it easier to find the one you need and keeps them from sliding out of the cupboard. (It's the little things in life!)

If you want not, then waste not!

The Oprah Magazine (3/12) offers some great ways to donate those items you find in your spring cleaning/foraging so that they find good uses/reuses!  Some of the ideas:

• Donate gently used baby/toddler clothes your children have outgrown (sizes 0 to 12 months) via www.lovedtwice.org.
• Have old tape dispensers, dried-up pens or highligthers or even old 3-ring binders?  Check on www.terracycle.net to donate these for recycling into park bences, flowerpots and plastic lumber!
• Drop of old towels and blankets at a local animal shelter to make comfy beds for animals housed in kennels with concrete floors.
• Old and even broken mobile phones can be donated at www.hopephones.org to allow medical workers in 14 developing countries to text each other re: patients and treatments!
• Don't need that old iPod or some old DVDs any longer?  Go to www.tunes4thetroops.com to find out how to ship these directly to U.S. soldiers stationed in Kuwait, Afghanistan or Africa.
• Old baseball bats, balls, and gloves can be donated at www.pitchinforbaseball.org for distributed to impoverished kids worldwide!

Know of any other donation websites or locations?  Let us know!

Apps to get you organized!

Here are a couple of apps you might find useful:

"Remember the Milk" app creates master "to-do" lists and allows you to set reminders and sort tasks on your Android, Blackberry, iPhone or Windows Mobile (did I mention it's free?)

The "Lemon" app lets you scan and catalog receipts so you can track when and where you are spending. The app is free for Android and iPhones!

Another online "helper"!

Earth day is April 22nd and you can do your part by cutting the paper in your mailbox! Download the free Google Catalogs app to your iPad or Android device to get instant access to over 400 digital catalogs. Life just got less cluttered!

Easy does it - bill paying

I found a site that appears very helpful (though admittedly I have not yet tried it). User beware and then keep us posted (just kidding) - www.manilla.com says it is "the easiest way to manage your bills." Anyone tried this?

Quick organizers!

I am on a roll with trying to organize our house...one kid has moved out (way out...to Japan!) and the other is half way out the door at 19! Too much house and too much stuff - so I am sharing any odds and ends I find along the way.

Per a recent issue of Redbook magazine, here are a couple of easy organization ideas -

Spray paint and old cookie sheet and then place stones (from the beach, a craft store, etc.) to cover the sheet. Use it as a shoe/boot dryer - ok, so here in AZ this isn't practical, but it will be in lots of other regions!

For craft fanatics or those who are "gifted" with wrapping (get it?!) use a pants hanger to hang and group spools of ribbon by color, shade, width...(very crafty, huh?).

More ideas as Spring approaches! Please share yours with us!

A taxing situation!

The Penny Pincher is admittedly a fan of lists, color-coded files and cute post-its. But for those of you who are not "Type A," here are some organization tips to ease the pain of tax preparations! (courtesy of Avery Dennison Corp.):

• Categorize: create separate files for each type of tax document (income, expenses, deductions, etc.)






• Color code: within each category, sort using colored tabs (i.e.: within deductions - pink for healthcare; green for charitable donations, etc.)






• Keep a checklist: track all documents that you receive in the mail.

For more tips, check http://www.avery.com/.

Get it together!

OK, no good excuse for the long delay since New Year's Day, but now I'm ready to get on with this new year. Maybe it's not exactly Spring cleaning time yet, but January seems to beg for some organization efforts following the excess and clutter of the holiday season! Here are a few easy steps to get you started:

* Reuse a "wet wipes" container to store plastic grocery bags (savvyhousekeeping.com)

* Overhaul your linen closet by storing bed linen sets inside one of their own pillowcases - so much easier to find complete matching sets (savvyhousekeeping.com)

* Use plastic bread tags to label cords in an office or anywhere they seem tangled. (joyofnesting.blogspot.com)

See...? Just start with baby steps!

After the holiday clean-up tricks

The gift wrap is still laying around the tree, guests have finally departed and it's time to get your house ready for New Year's Eve. Here are a few hints to help you make clean-up a cinch:

* Use wire to make arack against the ceiling in a closet to store rolls of gift wrap - keeps them from taking up space and getting ripped in the process.

* Use a walnut (out of shell of course!) to rub over scratches in wood furniture to disguise dings and scrapes.

* Use egg cartons to separate and store your holiday decorations.

* And that earring you lost during the party? Put a nylon stocking over the vacuum hose and use it to gently pick up tiny items like that before you do the full cleaning.

Pack Smart!

Summer vacations can mean fun, relaxation and...yes...the nightmare of packing to meet the airlines' baggage limits without getting all the added fees! I've traveled a lot for business (less for fun!) and I know to roll up my clothes to make more fit in a bag...done! Use a small purse and carry a big bag I can tuck it in so that I can bring my laptop on without having 3 carry-ons...done!

But now I've heard everything! AARP's magazine suggested taking a look at www.Scottevest.com for a line of jackets and coats that have 17 to 37 pockets. You simply wear what you would have packed! Can you imagine if you were the one selected to be searched at security? You would never catch your flight! This isn't meant for packing clothes, but more for electronics, water bottle, glasses, etc...sort of like wearing your purse or backpack, but it still seems a bit awkward.

I'm looking for other good travel tips, so post yours here!

Spring into the season!

USA Weekend (Feb.11-13,2011) offered some "old-time" hints that will help you get ready for summer!

* Grow the perennial herb comfrey (no, I've never heard of it either!) and add it to your garden's compost mix to add lots of fertilizer-friendly nutrients.

* Add a teaspoon of baking soda to your shampoo and massage into your hair, then rinse. This should bring out the natural lighter tones in your hair...great for the summer!

* If you haven't already packed away your sweaters for the year, sprinkle whole cloves over them...this repels moths and they roll right off when you unpack in the fall (has to smell better than cedar or mothballs...ugh!).

What's the secret password?

So many passwords, pin numbers, user names...argh!!!! What is a person who lives in a "virtual" world to do? Redbook (Sept.'10) offered a great suggestion from author Karen Dolby ("You Must Remember This") when coming up with new passwords. Pick your favorite quote or song lyric and use the first letter of each word to make your password. An example: When life gives you lemons, make lemonade" would be WLGYLML as a password. The cool thing is you can use this on multiple sites...no one could guess this! Anyone else have any tricks for creating passwords (and then remembering them!)?

Spring cleaning for the perpetually unorganized!

Ironically, I am an organizational neat freak at heart; I buy baskets, organizers, multiple calendars, hooks, file cabinets...you name it! But, in practice, I can manage to make even those organization tools a mess! Slowly but surely this spring I have vowed to work through this and put things in their proper place. No promises, but I'm trying. And on this topic, I saw some great ways to organize some everyday items (Redbook magazine's 5/11 issue)...here are a few that I thought were really clever:

- A mesh utensil holder...
...to store costume jewelry (for earrings you can even poke them through the mesh and put the backs on to keep them together).
...to put all of your teabags in one place (really nice for guests as well).
...to organize hairbrushes, clips, curling irons, etc. in one place.

- A spice rack...
...to store nuts, bolts, nails, screws, etc. on a workbench.
...to store beads or scrapbooking items in a craft room.
...to separate pushpins, rubberbands, paperclips, etc. in an office space.

- A clear plastic bath caddy...
...to hold napkins, silverware, etc. for your picnic table.
...to hold straws, cocktail picks, twizzle sticks, paper umbrellas and lime/lemon slices for picnics or a party.

- A wire 3-tier hanging basket (not just for vegetables anymore!)...
...to hang in your closet to hold belts, scarves, etc.
....to hold kids toys in their room or play area.

Yes!!!! It just makes me want to go out and buy a hanging basket, several bath caddies, a mesh utensil holder and a spice rack or two (or three?)...Spring is in the air!

Take-out made easier!

I love "take-out" nights, but when your favorite menus get misplaced or ripped (yeah, that never happens!)it can take longer to order a meal than to cook it yourself! There are some cute options online for folders to store your menus in, but you don't need to spend a mint to do this. Pick up a presentation folder,an inexpensive binder with plastic page protectors,an accordian file folder or even a shoe box...insert your menus and you are good to go.

Protect your goodies!

Occasionally, I post recipes or cooking tips to fit your budget (and mine!). When we find one that's a "keeper," we don't want to lose it, so here's a great, cheap way to protect these "goodies" (a la Martha Stewart - thanks again, Martha)!

Buy a clear plastic envelope (18"x12") from an office supply store (usually in price range of a few dollars). Place your cookbook (opened to the page you are using) or insert the recipe card you are following. What an easy way to keep your favorite recipes clean so they are legible every time you need them! I would also suggest clear zip-lock bags or scrapbook page inserts for this same purpose.

Mending SOS

A few hints from "Good Housekeeping" (10/10) magazine to keep things in "one piece!"

* Keep dental floss on hand for sewing buttons - much stronger than thread and you can get the right shade using a permanent marker!

* Save hotel sewing kits that you get in your bathroom accessories for quick mending at home or on the road.

* Use emery boards to buff stains from suede items in your wardrobe (is suede even still an "in" material?)

* Utilize garment tape or craft glue to quickly repair hems, accessories or broken shoe heels...at least as a temporary solution!

Any other suggestions from our road warriors? Please share!

Outer Space (I mean in your garage!)

USA Today's Sunday insert last week provided some great ideas for organizing your garage (and mine could really use it!)

1) Determine "zones of function" - separate places for laundry, tools, your car(s), etc...
2) Think vertically - use walls to create storage - shelves, cabinets, etc...
3) Go "above and beyond" - store bikes, etc...overhead (hanging from ceiling).
4) Organize "tool" kits - in separate bins put garden tools, oil change supplies, dog wash stuff...you get the idea!
5) Keep toys within reach...make it easily accessible for kids to get their bikes, game equipment, etc.

Voila...instant garage organization!